The second deputy of the Prime Minister, Mullah Abdul Salam Hanafi, said the major gathering of the clerics will be held on Thursday with 2,500 to 3,000 participants from across Afghanistan.

Hanafi said that the gathering will be attended by clerics, influential figures, political figures and national businesspeople.

“They will discuss Afghan issues: national unity, nationwide security and stabilization and other issues. Once they sit together, the results will be shared,” he said.

Hanafi said a range of topics such as the Islamic system, independence, national unity, and economic and social issues will be discussed at the gathering.

He said that there are no obstacles for participation of young people, but he did not mention if any women would be participating in the gathering.

“In this big historic gathering, religious clerics, influential figures, national traders and national figures will attend this gathering,” he said.

Earlier, some women’s rights activists expressed criticism regarding the exclusion of women in the gathering.

The Islamic Emirate’s Spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said that all preparations have been made for the gathering.

“The clerics will have their offers and will share them and discuss them and the security of the gathering has been ensured,” he said.

This comes as Jamiat-e-Islami in a statement downplayed the gathering as symbolic and said that holding the gathering will not bring any benefit for countering the current crisis.

The gathering will last for three days.

Although there is an apparent lack of female participants, there are expectations that the gathering will discusses the reopening of girls’ schools.